Ukraine war: The Russians locked up for refusing to fight
When his son was sent to fight in Ukraine, Sergei begged him not to go.
"You've got relatives there. Just refuse," Sergei recalls telling Stas, who was already an army officer. "But he said he was going. He believed it was right. I told him that he was a zombie. And that, unfortunately, life would prove that."
Sergei and Stas are not the real names of this father and son. We've changed them to protect their identities. Sergei has invited us to his home to tell us their story.
"So off he went to Ukraine. Then I started getting messages from him asking what would happen if he refused to fight."
Iran carries out second execution linked to nationwide protests
Majidreza Rahnavard accused of fatally stabbing security force members early in protests sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death in custody
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor
Iran has publicly hanged a man accused of killing two members of the security forces in its second use of capital punishment against anti-government protesters.
Majidreza Rahnavard’s family were woken early on Monday morning to be informed that he had been executed and that his body had been buried in a lot in the local cemetery.
Rahnavard, a 23-year-old wrestler, had been sentenced to death by a court in the city of Mashhad for allegedly killing two members of the Basij volunteer force and wounding four others. The Basij force, affiliated with the country’s Revolutionary Guards, has been at the forefront of the state crackdown on protests.
‘Credibility of Europe’ at stake over alleged Qatar corruption scandal
Foreign minsters warn of ‘damaging’ impact on governing body
A growing corruption scandal over allegations that World Cup host Qatar lavished hundreds and thousands of pounds worth of cash and gifts on MEPs and officials to influence decision-making threatens the credibility of Europe, senior figures have warned.
The scandal expanded further on Monday after Greece froze the assets of a key suspect in the case, Eva Kaili, a vice president in the European parliament and one of four people arrested and charged in Belgium at the weekend.
Belgian police have seized €600,000 (£516,000) in cash as part of an investigation into claims that Doha sought to buy influence. Sixteen raids were conducted by police.
Indonesia seeks to allay fears over premarital sex ban
Officials have sought to downplay worries about a new law that criminalizes sex outside marriage. The country said foreign tourists would not face charges under the legislation.
The Indonesian government on Monday dismissed concerns that tourists to the archipelago nation could face possible criminal charges — and prison sentences — for sex outside marriage
A major overhaul of the criminal code was passed unanimously by the Indonesian parliament last week, sparking concerns that the change to the law would damage the country's significant tourism industry.
What is the new law?
A revision to the existing criminal law, the new legislation prohibits sex outside marriage and cohabitation between unmarried couples.
Israel says its forces killed Palestinian girl in West Bank raid
Israel said Monday its forces unintentionally shot dead a Palestinian girl during a raid in Jenin, a flashpoint city in the occupied West Bank where dozens of Palestinians including local fighters have been killed in recent months.
Israel's army said it came under fire during an operation late Sunday to arrest three people "suspected of terror involvement".
"The girl who was killed was hit by unintentional fire aimed at armed gunmen on a roof in the area from which the force was fired upon," an army statement said, adding that no troops were hurt.
China scraps virus tracking app as country braces for Covid impact
China is bracing for an unprecedented wave of Covid-19 cases as it dismantles large parts of its repressive zero-Covid policy, with a leading expert warning Omicron variants were “spreading rapidly” and signs of an outbreak rattling the country’s capital.
Changes continued Monday as authorities announced a deactivation of the “mobile itinerary card” health tracking function planned for the following day.
The system, which is separate from the health code scanning system still required in a reduced number of places in China, had used people’s cell phone data to track their travel history in the past 14 days in an attempt to identify those who have been to a city with zones designated “high-risk” by authorities.
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